Three Reviews of GUD (with a side of update)

GUD Magazine #5 continues to receive positive reviews. Here are some links, followed by what each had to say about my contribution, Lost Lying on Your Back:

April 23rd: SFRevu

"This one develops into a real chiller"


May 16th: The Future Fire

"...sharply written, vivid and intense with carefully drawn, believable characterisation"


May 31st: Bibliophile Stalker

"...plain disturbing and powerfully so"


And here's an update on the novel:

Since my last ruminative post, the novel has been coming along at a steady pace. It is currently a little shy of 83k words - the projected length was 90,000 but 95-100k seems probable at the moment. My protagonist's story is close to complete, but I still have a secondary character's story to write, which should consist of several chapters to be inserted at specific points throughout the book. If I sound a little vague it is for two reasons: one, I don't want to give too much away, and, two, I'm not entirely sure myself of the details of these chapters. Although I have always had a general direction and intent, the writing of this book has been one of discovery rather than connecting a series of dots a la detailed outline. Bought that T-shirt, didn't fit. Anyway, I'm still on target for a late June/mid July completion date - everything crossed. Then I'm backing off for 4-6 weeks (which I expect will be a tough ask) to work on some other projects. There's a holiday in early September, after which I will throw myself upon the task of the second draft, to be completed, he types with perhaps foolish optimism, by close of business 2010. This, of course, depends on the amount of revision that will be required. Methinks, much. Still, I can't wait.

GUD #5 - Brainripples review

The first review of GUD Magazine #5 is now up at Brainripples. It's a good 'un, too. #5 included my short story, Lost Lying on Your Back. Have a look, buy a copy.

On The Radio...

...community radio in Burbank, California to be precise.

Pulp fiction podcast site Well Told Tales have a small weekly radio show now, and tonight they're broadcasting the podcast of my supernatural short story, Hear Not the Murmur on the Wind. So, if you're free and looking for something to do on Saturday night around 9pm Pacific Time, why not head on over to 925kyhy and listen to the Internet feed...

Australian author Kris Ashton has this to say about my tale:

Finding a new angle in a ghost story is nigh on impossible, but Steven J. Dines has done it. It's a complex and sometimes confusing narrative (as the comments on the WTT site show) but if you follow it through the pay-off is intense.

Kris has a story called "The Pothole" coming soon to Well Told Tales. Check it out!

'Hear Not..." review and First Acceptance of 2009

Over in The Fix’s From the Podosphere section, Paul S Jenkins has this to say about my short story, Hear Not the Murmur on the Wind, which appeared on pulp podcast site Well Told Tales last month:

This is a ghostly revenge story, told from the viewpoint of the ghost, which is a common theme, but here given arresting atmosphere by good writing, complemented by J. B. Goodspeed’s reading. A man returns to haunt the wife who murdered him, but finds not what he expects. Short and effective.

In other news...my first acceptance of 2009 - the good folks over at Words and Images magazine have expressed an interest in publishing one of two flash fictions I submitted to them in November. We’re still finalising details at the moment, but I should have definite confirmation soon.

Satirica

Hardcover anthology, Satirica: An Anthology of Satirical Speculative Fiction, can now be Pre-Ordered from Cowboy Logic Press and should be available soon from Amazon.

For your money you will be getting 110,000 words or 24 stories from the likes of David Thorpe (author of Hybrids ), the ever-prolific Lawrence R. Dagstine, and yours truly.

My contribution, All For One, was previously published in the now-defunct Darker Matter (#2) and received the following review from SF Crowsnest:

...a futuristic outlook of Britain where things haven't gone entirely to plan and something approaching a police state exists. Prime Minister Greengrass is in charge of this political satire which is somewhere between 'Yes, Minister' and 'Children Of Men'. A story and an author to look out for.

In other news...despite making the shortlist, Manny Prior's Halloween was turned down by GUD Magazine, though the editor of issue 4 said it was "nicely twisty" and "really draws one in." I'm disappointed, but at 8000 words I always knew it would be a tough sell. Pity, because I believe it is up there with my best work...

GUD Magazine #1, SF Diplomat Review, & some news...

GUD Magazine #1 has picked up a great review over at SF Diplomat. Here's what the reviewer Jonathan McCalmont had to say about my contribution:

“Unzipped” is a terrifying story. It is about a veteran of the war in Yugoslavia [actually, it's Iraq, Jonathan...] who is clearly consumed by psychological problems but is constantly attempting to keep his head above water. The story begins with his visiting a hooker for a bit of S&M, continues with his beating up his wife and ends with his thinking about flashing a bunch of teenaged boys in the hope that the police would drag him off and then beat the shit out of him in prison. It would be easy to write a story such as this and make it seem crass or sensationalist but Dines does an excellent job of getting across how conflicted and desperate for some kind of relief his protagonist is. This is memorable, powerful stuff.


And FINALLY some good news: after a long, long, long string of rejections...

Sunrise in Coat City will make its print debut in the forthcoming Best Of anthology from TQR. Unfortunately, I have no further details at this time.

And...

I've sold a second story (supernatural horror this time) to pulp fiction podcast site Well Told Tales, where I'm currently standing in the "Writer Spotlight." Drop by, hang out, listen to some stories, and leave a comment, if you like.

I'll be posting another blog with my round-up of 2007 very soon, so don't stray too far...

GUD Magazine #1, The Fix Review & 'The Beautiful Game' Podcast at Well Told Tales

GUD Magazine #1 has picked up yet another review over at The Fix. I dispute what the reviewer, Andrew Hook, has to say about Unzipped (well I would, wouldn't I?) but the magazine is getting some great exposure, so I'll just take it on the chin...

"Unzipped" by Steven J. Dines is another story which potentially has great aspirations for pathos. However, I found the message too heavy-handed—even if it is necessary and urgent for our times. An Iraqi war veteran finds it impossible to reintegrate into civilian life, but the ending is much too tidy. Can salvation from a pivotal moment in life really be found within a second pivotal moment? I don’t think so.


Elsewhere, my short story, The Beautiful Game, is now up at the pulp-fiction podcast site Well Told Tales as a streaming download or downloadable mp3 file. If you can spare 21mins of your time then please head on over there and listen, leaving a comment or rating when you're done. Personally, I'm pleased with the result and hope to appear on WTT again in the future. A big thank you to the Well Told Tales team.

That's all the news for now, folks. I spent a couple of evenings this week submitting stories for publication, so I hope to return with more good news very soon.

Hope you are well.

GUD Magazine #1, Mallory Review

I found a less positive review of GUD Magazine #1 today on F.R.R. Mallory's blog. The reviewer had this to say about my contribution, Unzipped:

This story does a good job on delivering the inner experience of post-traumatic stress although the way it elects to achieve this makes the protagonist distant and very hard to empathize with. Anticipating that this story behavior was intentional this becomes a bit of nonconsensual masochistic massage – as a reader you keep reading not because you are enjoying the story but because you are hoping the story doesn’t dirty itself on the page. This is well written and a story I would have tossed back.

That final sentence seems contadictory, but at least the magazine and my story are being read.

To read the review (Parts 1 & 2 of 3, so far) click HERE

GUD Magazine #1, 2 reviews - Artemisin and Whispers of Wickedness

Today, while browsing the internet I found the follow two reviews of GUD Magazine #1, which featured my short story, Unzipped.

Artemisin (Sara genge's writing blog) had this to say about my contribution:

Unzipped is not another Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder story. For one, if I had noticed that was what it was about, I would have chucked the story across the room. I'm sick of stereotypes of Vietnam vets hitting the deck every time someone breaks a glass. Most cases of PTSD last less than 3-4 months. What's more, most people who live through a traumatic event don't develop PTSD.
Thankfully, the opening paragraphs are so cleverly worded that by the time I found out about that detail I was in love and couldn't stop reading. Steven J. Dines takes the theme into new, medically inaccurate places (I'm not complaining, this is fiction and I don't think it was the author's intent to portray the condition precisely), where guilt, madness and literary flair merge nicely. Dark. That's the way I like it.

To read the full review click HERE


Whispers of Wickedness were even more complimentary:

All right, let’s start with some of the stuff I definitely liked. Steven J. Dines contributes Unzipped, the powerful and subtle tale of a soldier returned from Iraq and trying to deal with the death of a child that he witnessed out there and feels he should have prevented. I didn’t realise what Dines meant by the ‘ball’ that wasn’t a ball until I turned the page – and it knocked me for six when I did. A top-notch character study.

Likewise, to read the full review click HERE

Having returned from my honeymoon to an inbox full of rejection emails, these reviews were not only encouraging but well-timed. A cheery thank you to those reviewers!

GUD Magazine #1, Ibbetson Street Press Review

The second issue of Greatest Uncommon Denominator has picked up an early review from Ibbetson Street Press. Here is what they had to say about my contribution, Unzipped :

"I also grimaced when, at the end of Steve Dines’ “Unzipped” the Iraq War Vet loses his shit completely and smashes a mirror into the face of his well-meaning, stand-by-your-man girlfriend. I got the gritty sarcasm and post traumatic stress disordered telling of Humpty Dumpty dismantled and tortured which he read to his five year old. Again, though, it’s just the violence so exquisitely and bloodlessly drawn that kind of shakes me up these days. I appreciated the long interior monologue which the avenging vet had leading up to his final moments in a park going pervert on a kid as his woman lay in a hospital bed all scarred up. That’s the War. And that is, I’m sure, no exaggeration in some cases. It’s haunting and reflective of how military violence really does warp a soldier’s psyche."

To read the full review click HERE

Also, the good people over at GUD Magazine are offering the first two issues in PDF format for just $1 dollar each. This offer is open for one week only (July 6th - 13th), so hurry across there and take advantage now!

GUD Magazine